The Plan - 6 things to do this weekend

Published: Thursday, July 24, 2014 at 10:34 a.m.

Last Modified: Thursday, July 24, 2014 at 10:34 a.m.

An energetic, albeit monochromatic, painting session is one of the highlights of the play "Red." Photo courtesy of the Thalian Association

Locally Filmed Movie Night at Giant Cafe (1200 N. 23rd St.) continues with Marvel's shot-in-Wilmington, billion-dollar-hit "Iron Man 3." The action-packed movie, which filmed for almost a year in 2012, stars Robert Downey Jr. as the sarcastic superhero who's forced to rely on his intellect when stripped of his trusty machinery. The screening will be in the facility's 50-plus-seat screening room. Tickets are $10. For more information, call 910-375-6300.

Zac Brown, kinda

The smooth country songs of the Zac Brown Band will ripple over the Cape Fear River as tribute band 20 Ride takes the stage for the weekly Downtown Sundown Concert series. Admission is free for the concert at Riverfront Park in Wilmington. Opening will be jam band The Royal Noise. Beverages, including beer and wine, will be on hand for purchase. The Royal Noise starts at 6 p.m. and runs through 10 p.m. For more information, visit www.WilmingtonDowntown.com or call 910-763-7349.

Paint the town 'Red'

The Thalian Association closes out its nearly month-long run of "Red" this weekend at the aptly titled Red Barn Studio (1122 S. Third St.). The Tony-winning play by John Logan delves into the life and work of artist Mark Rothko and the work he created in his New York studio in 1958. The play builds to a confrontation between Rothko and his assistant, Ken, who openly suggests that his boss' work had become commercialized. The final two performances begin at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased at the door up to two hours before show time. 910-254-1788 or www.Thalian.org

Walking tours

With the weather forecast to provide a break from the week's monsoon, what better way to enjoy the outdoors than with a guided tour of Wilmington's historic neighborhoods? The Historic Wilmington Foundation is hosting walking tours of Forest Hills and the so-called "streetcar suburbs," which includes Wilmington's first two suburbs, Carolina Place and Carolina Heights. Focusing on the architectural, social and cultural history of the suburbs, the tours will highlight some of the pioneering areas in the Port City. The Streetcar Suburbs tour begins at Temple Baptist Church, 1801 Market St., while the Forest Hills tour begins at Forest Hills Elementary School, 602 Colonial Drive. Both tours start at 10 a.m. and cost $10. For more information, call 910-762-2511.

Must-see TV

Whoever said TV is lacking during the summer must go to bed early on Sundays, because drama is alive and well at 10 p.m. On HBO, immediately after the so-so final season of "True Blood," Damon Lindelof, co-creator of "Lost," crafts an unsettling portrait of life after the Rapture with "The Leftovers." It's bleak, but the character's shifty motivations make it worth wading through a little darkness. On FX, "The Strain" follows a virus that spreads in New York City, causing a thirst for blood in its carriers. If you're getting sick of the vampire genre, "The Strain" approaches the tried-and-true bloodsuckers through the vicious disease that creates them. Finally, Showtime continues to fog up the windows with "Masters of Sex," which focuses on the studies of pioneering sex researchers William Masters (Michael Sheen) and Virginia Johnson (Lizzy Caplan, in her Emmy-nominated role).

Get 'Into the Woods'

Stephen Sondheim's fairy-tale-inspired musical "Into the Woods" comes to life for a two-week run at the Odell Williamson Auditorium on the campus of Brunswick Community College in Bolivia. The play, which Disney has turned into a movie musical hitting theaters this Christmas, chronicles what happens when a baker and his wife set out to break a witch's curse, bringing them together with such fabled characters as Little Red Riding Hood, Cinderella and Jack (of beanstalk fame). Tickets are $18, $12 for students and $8 for children 12 and under. For tickets and more information, visit www.bccowa.com or call the Odell Williamson ticket office at 910-755-7416.

– Hunter Ingram

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